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Published: April 9th 2008
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As the saying goes, "You are wise to climb Mt. Fuji once, but a fool to climb it twice". At over 10,000 feet high, Mt. Fuji is a force to be reckoned with. Fuji, which means everlasting life, was once a place of spiritual pilgrimage for many. And it still commands such respect. Although the area around Fuji has been widely developed, Fuji itself remains untouched, a pure sanctuary and sleeping giant.
Postcards of Mt. Fuji usually show a vast nature scene of forested plains with Mt Fuji in the backdrop. Or, a double figure of the mountain reflected in a large lake at sunset with a blossoming tree in the foreground. After seeing dozens of these pictures, when you actually get to Mt. Fuji, you realize the photographer must have found the one tree out on that lake and hanging out over its branches, managed to snap a convincing photo amongst what looks like project housing, power lines, and chain retailers. One traveler we met from Spain described her impression of the area surrounding the mountain as a trailer park. Urban development right up to its base, this doesn’t seem to bother the Japanese, who will tell you, it’s the
mountain that matters, and that is still beautiful. And it is. Usually hidden behind a sheet of clouds, we were lucky enough after a long train ride from Tokyo, to catch the mountain on a clear day before sundown.
The official season for climbing Mt Fuji only lasts two months; July to August, when the snow all but disappears, making it safe to climb to the top. While you are free to try to climb it whenever you please, which is what we did, we soon realized that it really does call for proper gear and a serious attitude. As it was the off-season, we had to hop piles of snow, bulldozed to block the path and prevent climbers. The stations we passed along the way, (there are ten in all, and they serve as a kind of summit marker, usually providing food, tea, and a place to rest) where all shut and boarded. We past only one hiker on the way up, and then a group of foreigners when we reached the bottom again, who looked like they were just out for a stroll. Most Japanese take a bus up to the 5th station, and start out from there,
hiking until dawn to see the sunrise, and then down to meet their bus again. Even if we had wanted to steal an advantage and take the bus, the roads up to the 5th were closed for the next month or so. So we started from the bottom, the very bottom, on the original trail once blazed by those who were making a religious pilgrimage up the mountain. This trail is marked by a Shinto shrine, dedicated to the holy mountain. Through several
toriis or gates behind the shrine, lies a shabby little path coated in pine needles. As the mountain appears wider than it is tall, this first 2 hours of hiking to the first station is not very steep. But once past, the elevation is more severe and soon we found ourselves breathing heavily against our walking sticks. We climbed for about 4 hours up to the 3rd station before it became clear that we were unprepared to go on. There were no guard rails yet, and the snow made every steep step a potential disaster. Our pumas were soaked through, and the rainy mist we had welcomed near the base had slowly turned from hail to snow.
It was hard to believe that just yesterday, we were strolling around Tokyo in Tshirts, the sunshine warming us through. Now, just three hours away from Tokyo, we were shivering in the snow. And so, we ate the rest of our snacks and turned back, making the decent in about 2 hours.
The shame about climbing the mountain is you cant actually see the mountain when you are climbing it, and gazing downward, trees block the view for you to be able to properly assess just how high you are. Only your legs serve to measure the amount of work you actually did that day, and after our strenuous climb, a dip in the onsen was our most grateful reward.
I did wish my curiosity could have been satisfied, if I had found a break in the trees to peer out over the world down below, but I'm not at all disappointed that we didn’t reach the top. In fact, it was never my intention anyway. Just to say that your eyes have gazed upon Fuji's vast figure, to say your feet have touched its soil, is enough to understand that holy experience.
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Toshithevideomaker
toshi asaka
Great photo of Mf.Fuji
Nice Photo of Mt.Fuji I believe Mt.Fuji is the most beautiful mountain in the world. You really researched about Mt.Fuji, too. Those information are really great. If you have time, please check out my blog. There are many Video clips of Mt.Fuji from many aspects. Toshi